Fall 2024 - WL 320 D100

Interdisciplinary Approaches to World Literature (4)

Mediterranean Narratives

Class Number: 6919

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2024: Mon, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

    Oct 15, 2024: Tue, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Intermediate seminar on the intersections between World Literature and other modes of cultural expression, or other academic disciplines. May focus on different methodological approaches to World Literature, for instance gender, cultural, or performance studies. Alternatively, may explore literature in relation to music, theatre, film, the visual arts, or digital humanities. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

Diving Into Mediterranean Narratives Through An Interdisciplinary Lens

This course delves into the rich tapestry of Mediterranean literature and film, exploring how these cultural productions grapple with the concept of otherness. Spanning from the historical to the contemporary, students will engage with a variety of texts and cinematic works set in or focused on the Mediterranean region. We will analyze each work in connection with specific historical contexts, providing a comprehensive understanding of how otherness is constructed and deconstructed across different times and places, examining themes such as identity, migration and conflict. By analyzing how authors and filmmakers depict the other– whether through ethnic, religious, or social lenses– students will gain a deeper understanding of the region’s complex and often contested cultural and geopolitical landscape. 

More specifically, we’ll focus on films and literary texts to examine the encounter and clash of identities (Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees, Guy Delisle’s Jerusalem, Gabriele Salvatores’ Mediterraneo); as well as the construction of the Mediterranean Sea as both an enchanting yet perilous place (Hayao Miyazaki’s Porco Rosso, Emma Jane Kirby’s The Optician of Lampedusa).

Grading

  • Attendance and Participation 15%
  • Oral Report 20%
  • Midterm 25%
  • Comparative Presentation 15%
  • Final Paper 25%

NOTES:

Gain a thorough understanding of historical events, cultural exchanges and social transformations in the Mediterranean region.

Employ an interdisciplinary approach to study the interconnectedness of history, literature and cultural studies within the Mediterranean context.

Examine the ways in which different Mediterranean cultures have perceived and depicted the Other.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Course materials will be made available on canvas, and the online course textbook is freely available through SFU Library. 

REQUIRED READING:

Salvatores, Gabriele. Mediterraneo (Film). Available through SFU Criterion.


Miyazaki, Hayao. Porco Rosso (Film).


Delisle, Guy. Jerusalem. 978-1770461765

Kirby, Emma-Jane. The Optician of Lampedusa. 978-1944869151


Shafak Elif. The Island of Missing Trees. 978-1635579796


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.